Ida Edwards Mercer
12 Meade Lane
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106 U.S.A.
Ph: (216) 921-3480 Mobile: 216-375-4361
idamercer@gmail.com
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EDUCATION
1986: Doctor of Musical Arts
Joint degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio
1980: Master of Music
Yale University, School of Music
New Haven, Connecticut
1977: Bachelor of Music
University of Illinois; Major. cello
Urbana, Illinois
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ACADEMIC HONORS
2002: Ohio String Teachers Association, Studio Teacher of the Year
1983: National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (Cleveland)
1979: Francis Louise Kirchoff Tapp Scholarship (Yale)
1977: Bronze Tablet Award (Illinois)
1973-77: James Scholar (Illinois)
1973: Valedictorian (High School; Belleville, Illinois)
HONORS
June 2009: Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from Belleville High School-West, Belleville, Illinois for contributions to arts and culture.
2010: Awarded a Creative Workforce Fellowship by Arts Cleveland (formerly Community Partners for Arts and Culture), Cleveland, Ohio.
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INSTRUCTION
Cello: Alan Harris, Aldo Parisot, Janos Starker, Gabor Magyar, Joseph Pival
Chamber Music: Raphael Hillyer, members of the Tokyo String Quartet, Gabor Magyar,
Zoltan Szekely
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Performance:
2008- 2016: cellist, Almeda Trio, ensemble-in-residence, Music Settlement, Cleveland
2002 – 2008: Cellist, Red {an orchestra}, Cleveland
1991 – Present: Cellist, Britt Festival Orchestra, Jacksonville (Oregon)
1982 – 2009: Assistant Principal Cellist, Cleveland Opera Orchestra
1982 – 2000: Assistant Principal Cellist, Ohio Chamber Orchestra
1980 – 1982: Principal Cellist, Rochester (Minnesota) Symphony (Decorah)
1980- present: Solo performances in the USA and Europe, including solo concerts in Lithuania scheduled for November 2020.
Administrative:
2005-2006: Artistic Manager, Red {an orchestra}
Jan. –June 2004: Interim Executive Director, Red {an orchestra}
Associations:
2001 – Present: Founding Board member, Red {an orchestra}
1997 – Present: Founding Board member, Director of Programs, Cleveland Cello Society
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
1998 – Present: Cello Instructor and Chairman of the String Department(2008-2012 and 2015-2019), Cleveland Music Settlement
1987 – 1991 and 2006-present: Cello Instructor, Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University
1978 – Present: Private cello instructor
1989 – 1994: Cello Instructor, Shaker Heights High School
1996 and 1987: Adjunct Professor (Music Appreciation), Notre Dame College (Cleveland)
1984: Cello Instructor, Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea, Ohio)
1980 -1982: Cello/bass and Music Theory Instructor, Luther College (Decorah)
1981: Cello Instructor, Illinois Summer Youth Music Program (Urbana)
1981: Conductor, Decorah Summer String Ensemble
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RECORDINGS
Almeda Trio– CD of piano trios by Paul Ferguson, Astor Piazzolla, Paul Schoenfield.
Albany Records TROY 1386- recorded in 2012
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SCHOLARLY WORK
“The Six Sonatas for Cello and Continuo by Rayner Tayler- A Critical Edition” (DMA
Document III: Cleveland Institute of Music, April 1986)
“Bach’s Use of the Cello as a Solo Obbligato Instrument in his Cantatas” (DMA Document
II: Cleveland Institute of Music, January 1985)
“The Slow Sections of Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas: Introductions of Independent
Movements?” (DMA Document I: Cleveland Institute of Music,
Studies including transcriptions for cello of 17th-centuryworks for gamba, division viol and violone (various dates)
Performance edition of Ricercar No. 6 for Solo Cello, by Domenico Gabrielli
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LANGUAGES
German: very good to excellent in speaking, reading, and writing
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REFERENCES
Available upon request.
idamercer.com 